This invention lies in the field of mixing equipment and deals more particularly with livestock feed mixers, and a special auger arrangement for such mixers.
It has become common practice in livestock feeding, particularly in bunk feeding at commercial feedlots and the like, to blend the ingredients of the feed in a box mixer, either stationary or mobile. The typical box mixer contains augers, paddle blades and other types of mixing components which are intended to operate on the ingredients of the feed to blend them into a substantially homogenous mass and on demand to assist in conveying and discharging the feed from the box so that all animals fed from the batch in the mixer will be provided a substantially uniform ration content.
Achieving uniformity of distribution of all the ingredients of the mix throughout the feed mass is difficult. In particular, the handling of roughage, which is normally of a stringy fibrous nature, provides problems in both mixing and conveying. Not only must the stringy roughage be blended uniformly into the feed, but it also must be effectively conveyed through the box and out through the discharge as part of an essentially continuous mass in which the uniformity of blend is maintained.